Disclaimer: This story contains graphic sexual situations and adult themes
and is therefore not suitable for those under age 18 or the close-minded. It
may be illegal in some areas too. :( Please also note that it is not a true
story, instead merely a fantasy. Real events may be referenced and real
names, likenesses, and other personal details of celebrities and other real
people may be part of the story- however they are used in a fictional manner
styled to the author's liking that may be satirical at times. The author has
never met any of the celebrities used herein, so he has no way of knowing if
they really act the way they do in the story, and is confident that they
probably don't. One hopes that these facts do not keep you, the reader, from
enjoying the story.

Copyright: This story is my creation. All other stories which are referenced
or otherwise paid homage herein belong to their respective creators. This
story may be posted anywhere on the Internet that is free to access and has
my permission- please email me for such. The inclusion of this disclaimer and
proper credit will be all that I ask.

Celebs: Various people from the movie X-Men 3 reprising their roles- read the
story to find out exactly who. :)

Acknowledgements: Thanks as usual to all who have aided in the creation of
this story, even those who have done so without knowing it. Thanks also to
those who maintain sites for stories like this, and to all those who write
for them, read them, and otherwise keep them alive. Thanks especially go out
to those who have sent this author feedback. If after reading this story you
desire to do the same, please email feedback to me at the address in my
profile ([email protected]). All feedback, with the exception of flames
and spam, will be answered and appreciated. I hope you like this story. If
not, please tell me why you didn't so I may learn of my mistakes.

Notes: This story is my unofficial follow-up to the film X-Men 3: The Last
Stand. Great movie and hopefully not the last of its kind. If you have not
seen it, beware- Spoilers Are Within This Tale. SPOILERS! Got that? :) This
whole story takes place shortly after the movie, and ties up some loose ends.
Any writers of X-Men 4 who want to use the ideas I put across, feel free. All
readers- Enjoy!

Codes: MF, MFF, first, oral, reluc, cons, interracial, rom, voy.

X-Men - The Last Stand: Additional Aftermath
by AchtungNight

The Not-Too Distant Future. Xavier Mansion, NY.

"I can't go on," he whispered, rubbing his head in his hands. "I can't go
on."

His inner strength was gone now. He had always had it, fought with it, been
legendary for it. It had satisfied him, even though it had kept him alone.
Then, suddenly, he had not been alone. He had found friends, a family. They
had been a better salve to his pain than any drink, any cigar, any berserk
rage. He had loved them, and he still did.

But now things would be over soon, he knew. The man who had given him the
family was dead - after he could have saved him. The woman he had wanted to
start another family with was dead too - by his own hand. She had killed one
man who loved her, and destroyed the other as well. Only part of her had even
cared. The other part, the part he'd had to kill, had laughed at both of
them, then set out to destroy the world.

"Jean," he recalled, shaking his head at her memory. "Jean. I miss you."

Before their final battle he had been able to put all thought of her aside,
concentrate on the man who had always been a threat to both of them. A threat
to their entire family, and their dream. They had beaten that man, finally
destroyed him. But then they had had to destroy Jean too. She was one of
their own, and they had had to kill her. Specifically he had had to. The
knowledge of that, the memory of what he had done, what he had tried and
failed to do, was rooted inside him now. And it was worsening all his other
pain.

"Logan," a voice said.

He looked up to see a darkskinned woman in black standing before him. Short
white hair framed her aristocratic features.

"Storm," he said, smiling wryly. She had always trusted him, even though they
barely knew each other. Even now, her presence brought with it a feeling of
warmth. Of course, that feeling only slightly eased what lurked inside his
bones.

"Ororo," she said, stepping closer. She knelt before the bed he sat on, took
his hand in hers. "You should call me Ororo after all we've been through
together."

"Ororo," he repeated, grimacing at the name. For only an instant, though. He
liked it. Storm was nice too, but it was also uncomfortably close to the
feelings he often had. Those feelings always disturbed him no matter what.
Unlike his body, they did not easily heal.

"You were screaming," she said, looking up at him. "What happened?"

"Nightmare." He gasped, remembering. "I saw it all again. We fought Magneto,
we defeated him. But then Jean..."

"I know."

Logan gasped. "This time she destroyed me. I wasn't strong enough to stop
her. I died, just like Scott and the Professor..."

He took one look at her, then turned away, pulling his hand from her grasp.

"Logan!" she shouted. He did not look back. "Logan!"

"Go away," he snapped, waving his hand at the door of the room. For a moment
it clenched, the claws within about to spring forth. Then Logan stopped
himself, remembering Ororo was not his enemy. "Get out of here," he told her
instead. "Just leave me." Words, he knew from experience, could be sharper
than adamantium.

Ororo shook her head, then stood up and sat down on the bed. She took Logan's
face in her hands, turned it back towards her. He grimaced at her cool touch.
For a moment he felt something inside change at its pressure. Then he frowned
again, remembering all the reasons for his pain. The substance inside him,
his body and yet not his body. The echoes of his long life, all the things he
could remember and those he couldn't. The death of his mentor, his rival, and
the woman he'd loved. His enemies had died too, but that didn't matter. Not
when joined with the death of his friends. At their funerals and afterwards
in public he'd held it all inside, but now his grief was coming out. He had
always been alone, and suffered alone. The family he had now hadn't changed
that, even though it had changed so much else.

"Logan," she said, looking directly at his eyes. "Logan, look at me."

For a long instant he was silent, trying to drive her from him with his naked
fury. But she did not even seem to notice, or if she did, she did not leave.
She only continued looking at him. Then he turned and saw a reflection of
himself inside her eyes.

"What?" he snarled, his tone changing. "What do you want?"

"You're in pain. You need help."

"Yeah, I am," Logan shrugged. No use challenging her impression. "What makes
you think you can do anything about it?"

She took a deep breath. "I've lost people too."

She had, he realized. Jean, Scott, and the Professor had also been her
friends. How could he have forgotten?

"Yeah," he said, looking at her. "You did."

"Not just them," Ororo replied. She dropped her hands from his face. "I lost
my parents, long ago. Charles gave me a new family, but now..." She turned
away, tears coming to her eyes.

Oh my, Logan realized, staring at her. He wasn't the only one alone inside,
he realized. She was too. He should have read the signs. So often she
trembled in enclosed spaces, and seemed uncomfortable in the open too. So
often she seemed to be sharing his own feelings about their family, living
and dead. For so long he'd been confused by their misunderstanding. She saw
the X-Men as a team, and himself as part of that team. He had not seen the
true advantages of that viewpoint, though - not until their most recent
battle. And even then, at the end of that battle, Logan had once again had
to stand alone.

Ororo had too, he knew now. She had led the team to safety while he took
care of Jean. The new members of the group - Bobby, Kitty, and Peter - had
all looked up to her. They had admired her, and Hank too - but even that
veteran had deferred to Ororo. Logan also respected her. She and him were
the only ones left of the group from back when he'd first joined the X-Men.
The girl he'd brought with him was still there, but she was no longer a
mutant. Instead she was human, gone to what he hoped was a better life even
though she was still part of Logan's. Scott, Jean, and the Professor were
gone too, gone farther away to something Logan knew had to be better. The
only one who was there with him at the beginning who was still with him now
and still like him was Ororo Munroe.

Logan clenched his fists, looking at her. He still wanted to shove her away,
get up and run as he always had in the past. Bear his own pain, forget about
other people. But now, thanks to all they had shared, he knew he could not
do that again. And also, he knew he shouldn't. Not when this woman was next
to him, willing to share what troubled him now.

"St..." he began, then shook his head. Reaching out, he put his hand on her
shoulder. "Ororo."

She turned and looked at him. "What?"

He coughed, then sighed, deciding to forget what was bothering him.
Temporarily, of course. "I understand how you feel."

"Do you?"

He took her hand, nodding. "Yeah." Then he frowned. "Well, not exactly. I
never knew my family. I can't even remember having one. Not until now."

She smiled at him. "We have to keep the family going. Charles is gone, and
so many others. Scott, Jean, Hank..."

"Furball's still alive."

"Yes, but he has another mission now." She took a breath, looked down and
then back at him. "Logan, you and I have to go on. We have to keep the
school going. We're the only ones who can. There's a cure now, but not
everyone wants it. Some of us have useful abilities too. Things we have
to manage, control..."

"I know," Logan cut her off. "I've been thinking about all that." He sighed.
"I want to do it. I just... I just don't know if I can." He wondered why he
was being so open with her, then shook his head, deciding it didn't matter.
Besides, from the look on her face, Ororo was reading his thoughts as good
as Jean ever had, maybe even more so.

"It's easy," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Just think of us as the
family you never had, what you always wanted. How would you live with that
family, if you had the chance?"

"I don't know. I'm not this family's leader."

"This family's leader is dead, Logan. They need a new one now. I thought it
could be Scott, but he's gone. Charles chose me to take his place."

Logan grinned, remembering. "Good decision."

"Yes. But I can't do it alone." She looked him up and down, then took another
breath. "Every family needs a mother. And a father."

Logan's mouth fell open for an instant. Then he slammed it shut. "What are
you talking about?"

"I guess so." He wondered why he was having trouble believing it. "But I
can't be their father. That isn't me. I'll just be their friend."

"And their teacher too. They all need a teacher."

"Right." He took another breath. "Look, if you think I'm walking away from
all this..."

She shook her head. "I don't, but I'm afraid. I've seen so much in you that
worries me. I know that staying here is probably the hardest thing you've
ever done."

Logan thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "You're right."

"And killing Jean. That was also hard for you."

"I loved her." He shook away a tear.

"She was a good friend to me too. But it was more than that with you and
Scott, I know it was. It was something like I had with the man I loved."

Logan blinked. "I've never seen you with anyone."

Ororo sighed. "He was a student here before you came. He's dead now. You
remember the clinic Magneto blew up, before San Francisco?"

"Yeah..."

"The man I loved was there. I don't know if he was outside or inside,
protesting the cure or waiting for it. I..." Her voice broke and she fell
sobbing against Logan's bare chest.

Damn it, Logan thought. I didn't know. "Tell me about him."

"His name was Forge. He was a good man. A brilliant inventor. There was
nothing he couldn't create."

"Sounds like he was as strong as Jean."

"He was, but in a different way. I loved him as you loved her. He saved my
life several times, and I saved his. We were going to be married, but
then..." Her voice caught, then deepened. "He told me he thought I'd say
no. I hated him for that, drove him away. But now... I would have said yes,
Logan!" She pressed her face into his chest, crying and shaking against him.
"If he hadn't told me his fear, I would have said yes!"

Logan looked down at her as she poured out her sadness. For some reason he
felt his own lessen, or at least become easier to bear. He had thought he
was the only one who felt as he did. Now he saw he was wrong. "Damn it." He
paused. "You know, he might not be dead. We thought Rogue was at that clinic
at first, but then she came back okay."

"No! He's dead! I know he is! He has to be!"

Logan sighed again, then threw his arms around Ororo, cuddling her close to
him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wish I could have met this guy."

Ororo ceased her tears and smiled, looking up. "You would have liked him. He
had your free spirit, and your strength. Useful talents too. I was going to
invite him back here - he would have made a good teacher. But now..."

"We'll find other teachers. Bobby will be one, and Peter, and Rogue, and
Kitty too. We'll find more."

She nodded. "I already have some people in mind. Charles left me names. Emma
Frost, Alex Summers, Alison Blair..."

Logan gave her a look of surprise. "The disc jockey?"

"Another person who left before you came."

Logan nodded, then asked another question. "This Alex... he's..."

"Scott's brother. There's a lot you don't know about us."

Logan laughed. "I guess so." He moved his hand down, wiped a tear from her
eye. "Hey, look, we're going to move on. They're gone now. I keep telling
myself that. We can't bring them back. We have to go on."

"Yes," Ororo agreed, staring at him. "We have to go on, Logan." She touched
his hand, then moved up against him, pressing her body against hers.

"What are you..." Logan gasped out, then was interrupted by her lips.

"We have to go on," Ororo repeated, pulling back from the kiss. She looked
at him, smiling once more. "Together."

Logan grimaced. The feel of her against him was nice, but... "Together?"

"Yes, Logan. Together. You have pain and so do I. We can..."

He put a finger against her lips, shaking his head. "No. I can't get close
to people. They all die, they all..."

Again her voice stopped him. "I'm still alive, Logan. And I want you."

"You..." He paused, glancing her over. She was lovely. Her body was
inspiring, and her spirit as well. This wouldn't be the first time Logan
had eased his pain with the help of a woman. But such a woman as this...
something about her scared him. He shook his head, wondering what the
matter was. Jean was gone. Ororo's lover was also. She had obviously been
nurturing some sort of feelings for him. He had for her too, he now
realized. Jean wasn't the only strong admirable woman he'd met since he
came here long ago. Ororo was equally interesting, perhaps even more so.
There was no Cyclops between them, and she was alive.

"You want me."

"Yes," Ororo said, running her fingers over his cheek. "Do you have a problem
with that?"

He chuckled. "No. Just, uh... It's so soon for both of us. Are you sure
you..."

She put her hand against his lips again. She said nothing, only nodded. Okay,
Logan thought. Glad you know why I had to ask. Pushing that aside now, he
grasped Ororo in his arms and pulled her into him. He planted his lips on
each of her cheeks, then her mouth. Her tears fell anew as he did so, but he
sensed a different feeling behind them now. Sadness was still there, and
something else also. He wondered how long she'd wanted this.

"Logan," Ororo said, pushing herself closer to him. He felt the softest part
of him, the only part of his body that did not contain adamantium, begin to
grow strong.

"Hey," he replied, running his fingers through her hair. His claws started
to come out, but he held them in, just as he always had to at moments like
this. She was keeping her power in too, Logan knew. They both had learned
their lessons well since coming to the school.

Ororo's lips touched his, and ignited sparks that flashed through Logan.
The weather wasn't the only part of nature Ororo could stir up, he reflected.
There was something of nature in him, feral and primeval. Perhaps the
connection would enliven a relationship between himself and Ororo. Maybe they
could...

Such thoughts flowed deep into his mind as she traced her hand down his
torso. She felt the lean muscles of his chest, then his stomach. Logan let
several long breaths out as she moved on to his waist. It had been a long
time, he realized. Too long. And he was certain now that there was no way
this would not be great.

He smiled, stopping her hand with his. He moved his other hand over the
curves beneath her black leather bodysuit, probing for the zipper. Finding
it, he pulled it down. Gleaming dark skin was revealed, covered in sweat and
other fluids. Ororo's nipples were small and hard against his palm. Logan
rubbed each of them, then reached his hands up and pushed the suit over
Ororo's shoulders. She helped him, pulling her arms free of the sleeves and
letting the suit fall back.

His hands roamed across her sides, squeezing her arms as they once again
encircled him. Logan pulled her closer, grabbing and massaging her lower back
and then her rear. His hands moved around the latter, took hold of Ororo's
belt buckle and unsnapped it. Another push, and the suit was off her hips.
With powerful thrusts of her legs, she kicked it off and away. Logan looked
at the white patch of hair revealed between her thighs and chuckled. "I was
wondering about that."

Ororo smiled, then kissed him again. Maybe I wasn't the first, Logan thought.
Then her hands were back on him, moving quickly to his pants. Unsnapping his
fly and pulling down the zipper. Grasping the edges, yanking them apart.
Logan smiled as he watched her disrobe him. Like most women who got this
close to him, Ororo seemed pleased with his manhood's shape.

She looked confused as she ran her fingers across him. "They didn't..."

"No," Logan replied, smirking. "Looking back, I'm kind of glad."

She returned his pleased expression, then began tickling his shaft's
underside. Her fingers sent a charge into him, exciting Logan's every nerve.
He moved his left hand back to her breasts, returned her touches with his
own. His other hand swept down across her tight belly. It lingered there,
then leapt onwards, entering the forest of Ororo's snatch. Logan sighed as
he felt the heat there, and the humidity.

"Nice."

"Yes," Ororo agreed, massaging him. "Be nice to me."

"You got it."

With that, he thrust his fingers into her, pulling apart Ororo's folds. Just
as with battle, Logan was long experienced in this art, and he was good at
it. He was different here than in a fight, though. He knew that women liked
gentleness, for the most part. So he used it. And soon, he could feel it
working just as it always did in the past.

"Yes!" Ororo moaned as Logan caressed the sides of her interior. He soaked
up her essence with his fingers, longing for the flood that he knew was
waiting to burst forth. Her hand remained on his shaft, squeezing it as it
lengthened. Ororo's other hand touched his shoulder, then pulled him close,
touching his lips with hers. Her mouth was open this time, and her tongue
came out to touch Logan's. He met it with his, sucked on the organ, then
involuntarily clenched it in his teeth. He bit down, then withdrew.

"Ah!" Ororo gasped, shaking and pulling back from him. Logan frowned and
opened his mouth to mutter something. Before he could, she shook her head,
smiling. Then she took hold of his shoulder and his cock, squeezed both,
sent a charge into them. Logan grimaced, feeling his body vibrate. Then he
grinned. This was different than when Magneto manipulated his bones. He
liked it the way Ororo did it. Haven't been with many mutant women, he
thought, and never one with her abilities before. Damn, I think this could
really be fun.

"Let's go," he said, then stroked his fingers faster within her. Two shoved
inside, then three. Logan found Ororo's clit, pulled on it with all his
strength. He slacked off, hearing her let out a scream. Then she shook her
head again, throbbed back and forth against him. He laughed, then once more
touched her most sensitive part gently. He set up a rhythm to his touches,
varied the pressure. First he was soft, then he let his animal lust out,
then he was tender, then once again hard. Ororo moaned and gyrated at each
emotion, growing tighter and wetter. Logan smiled, his inner turmoil almost
forgotten. Just as with Ororo, something new and glorious was bubbling forth
beneath his skin.

"Logan," she said, fingers wrapping around his shaft. They pressed deep into
the skin, touched his balls for an instant and then resumed holding Logan's
member. Ororo's other hand left his shoulder, moved to his side. "I need
you."

"Okay," he said, removing his hands from her pussy and breasts. He took hold
of Ororo's thighs, pulled her groin into his own. She opened herself to him,
accomodated his manhood, then closed her inner folds tight around it. Logan
felt something within him let go with her contractions. She grabbed him hard
with every fiber of her being, and he now felt he should mimic that.
Growling, he swept his hands up, took hold of Ororo's shoulders. He rolled
her down onto the bed, feeling her arms and legs wrap around him as he did
so. Stabbing himself deep into her body, he rubbed her back and kissed her
lips. He pulled out, then thrust again, matching each motion with an oath or
a snarl.

"Yes!!" Ororo cried between his touches. "Yes!!! Oh yes!!!!"

Logan grinned, predicting what was coming.

Another gasp, and then Ororo quaked heavily around him, the flush of an
orgasmic hurricane coming to her face. Her eyes flashed white, and
electricity briefly sparked through both of them. One quick charge, then
it died. "Sorry," she frowned, feeling Logan shake.

"It's okay," he said. "I kind of like it." Grimacing, he pressed her down
into the bed. "Don't be afraid. I'll heal."

"I didn't mean to..." Ororo said. Then her words were cut off as Logan again
pushed into her. He thrust himself forward with all the strength in his
bones, squeezing her shoulders and kissing her in the same motion. Then,
right before he felt Ororo shaking, he pulled back. "Yes!" she moaned,
raindrops falling from her eyes as she vibrated against him. Her breath got
faster. Logan felt its warmth on his face, and the warmth of her body close
to his too. Gentle, then strong, matching his motions. He kept hold of Ororo
as she kept hold of him, pushing forth and then back. Keeping things going
for both of them, building up passion, until...

Logan came inside her with a deep long roar. His face took on the aspect of
his namesake creature, and his viciousness increased likewise. His claws
almost came out, but he caught them, feeling their points against his skin.
Logan grimaced at the pain. He didn't like pain, and yet it was such a part
of him. He could not ignore it. It was always there, it never healed. It
only got worse. Everyone close to him passed on, and...

Suddenly Ororo shook around him again, and his thoughts fled as he watched.
She was calmer now, he noticed, keeping her power inside. Her spasms were
more frequent too, and deeper. Logan smiled. Perhaps she can teach me how
to deal with things, he thought. Affect me as I'd hoped Jean could, teach
me to get comfortable with what I have inside. Ororo controls her ability,
and she doesn't need illusions and mental blocks to do it. Maybe if Jean
could have lived, Ororo could have shown her how to keep this kind of
control. It might have calmed her rage. But Jean wasn't willing to give
anyone a chance. She was too scared of herself, scared like I was. I know
I am not going to repeat her mistake.

"Ororo," he said, grasping her shoulders as she calmed down. "Thank you."

"Thank you," she replied, grinning back. Her hands moved over his rear end,
gripping the muscles there. "You're still..."

Logan returned her chuckle, then resumed his frenzied motions. I hope you're
ready for this, he thought. But you probably are. You seduced me. I was
shocked, but now I'm glad you did it. Thanks to you, Ororo, I feel great. I
think I can stay here, and enjoy it. Just as long as you stick around too.

"Don't leave me," he said, pushing himself into her to the hilt.

"Never," she promised, kissing his mouth.

* * *

Downstairs, in another part of the mansion, someone else was also feeling a
new confidence.

"Bobby," she said, touching his hand. He stared at her agape, but did not
wilt. No trace of his self slipping away was revealed to her. She smiled at
the sight - for so long she had doubted it could happen. Only now, touching
him, did she feel sure what she'd done was the right thing.

"Rogue," Bobby said, staring at her hand on his. "You... This isn't what I
wanted!"

"It's what I wanted," she smiled, gripping his hand and tossing back her
dark red hair. The white streak was still at her temples. She had considered
getting rid of it along with her power, but in the end she had decided not
to. She still wanted to feel different, unique, and her streak would be a
symbol of that. The other difference - the bad one - was gone now. She had
rid herself of it. It had to be so, she reminded herself. She could touch
him now, kiss him, do all that she couldn't before. Still, though, she felt
a very deep loss inside.

"Rogue," the young blonde man repeated, his blue eyes locked on her brown
ones.

"Marie," she corrected him. "My name is Marie, Bobby."

He only shook his head, still unable to believe what was happening. "You had
gloves on when you got back," he rambled. "I thought you didn't go through
with it. But now you..." He looked at her hand, then again at her face.

"Yeah," Rogue smiled. Marie, she corrected herself. "You knew I wanted to do
it. I had to."

"Yeah, but..."

"I told you about this already, Bobby. That counselor I talked to before I
went into the treatment room."

"Right," said Bobby. "You told me she told you it wasn't reversible, and that
really got you thinking your power was part of your identity. You didn't want
to give it up. That's why you came back." He frowned. "But I thought you kept
it." He started to pull his hand from Rogue's, then grimaced, liking the
touch.

"I let you think that, Bobby," Marie told him. "But now it's time for me to
stop lying." She took a breath, then resumed her speech, trying to recall
what she'd rehearsed. "The counselor told me other things too - things I
needed to remember. All my friends are here. My life is here now, it has been
for years. I couldn't give it up. I can stil be a teacher here too, even now.
Anyone who's thinking about giving up their power, I can talk to them about
it. That's why I came back - I'm valued here."

"But without your power..."

"Bobby, please stop coming back to that. Don't you remember our talk about
how my power was the only thing wrong with me?"

He paused, then nodded. "Right."

"That's why I had to get rid of it. So I did. Then I came back. Where else
could I go? I didn't tell anyone at first, because I wasn't sure how people
would react, but then I decided I had to." She waved her hand. "The people
here are my friends. They wouldn't just turn their back on me, right?"

A hundred different thoughts ran through Bobby's mind. She could have gone
back to her family, he thought. No, wait, I tried that and it didn't work.
Damn it. He gulped, then voiced his next thought. "Your power was what made
you special. If you gave it up..."

Marie shook her head. "I'm still special, Bobby. I always will be. You think
mutants are the only special people in this world?"

Bobby frowned. "I didn't mean. I..."

"Look at it this way," Marie cut in. "You remember that favorite show we had
before they took it off the air? One girl was the Slayer, one was a witch,
another was a demon. One boy was a werewolf, one was a super-soldier..."

"And the other guy was normal!" Bobby gasped, realizing what she was talking
about. "You want to be our Xander."

"Yes," Marie laughed. The explanation still sounded crazy to her, maybe
because it was so simple. It had made equal sense when the counselor at the
clinc had first put it across. "I want to be Xander. The one normal person
in a group of powerful beings. The one who keeps them down-to-earth, reminds
them of what they're fighting for. The one who touches them all, even when
they won't let themselves be touched. I want to be the person here who's
like that." She ran her fingers across Bobby's hand again. "We need that
sort of person, don't you think?"

"I..." Bobby stopped. He had thought the same thing many times when the show
was on, but the opportunity had never came up. Now...

Oh no. Were they going to have this conversation again? He ran a hand
through his hair. "Look, I told you, I've never put any pressure on you.
You're the one who's obsessed with sex because you can't have it. You're
the one who reads all the stories on the Net. The one who looks through
all those magazines Angelica and Shiro have in their rooms. The one who
masturbates more than anyone else in the mansion. Don't go blaming all
that on me again, okay?"

Marie glared at him, then dropped it, reminding herself he was right. "Yes,
Bobby," she admitted. "I'm the one whose mind is on the one thing. And now
I can have that one thing."

He nodded, looking at her hand. "But we broke up. The last time we had this
conversation, we broke up. You let me go, told me I could go to Kitty or
whoever I pleased. Then the Professor died, you left the mansion and went
to that clinic. Then all that other stuff happened, and now..."

"I know," Marie said. "And you said things didn't work out as you hoped with
Kitty. You were just friends, you saw that after your skating. You couldn't
get close to her. You told me."

Bobby stared at her. She didn't see what Kitty and I did after skating, he
remembered. I was so overjoyed she came back I tried to blow it off. That,
and forget what Kitty told me after we finished. That we could be friends,
only friends. She liked being with a lot of people, but her heart belonged
to only one man. And I got there too late to be that man. I hated that,
hated it even more when I found Kitty and me were still friends regardless.
Our teamwork in the final battle with Magneto showed me that, and calmed me
down to the fact, but still... I want to get back with Marie, he remembered.
At least my relationship with her made sense. Or does it now?

"Come on, Bobby," Marie said. "You told me."

"I didn't tell you everything."

Marie stared at him agape. "What?" Quickly she recovered. "Wait. Are you
telling me Kitty _isn't_ with Peter?"

"Why don't you let me explain it, Bobby?" a soft voice interrupted. Marie and
Bobby both turned to see their fellow young X-Man Kitty Pryde standing beside
the bed, arms crossed. An pleased look was on her calm features, framed
nicely by long brown hair. I didn't hear her come in, Marie thought, then
remembered Kitty didn't need to use doors to enter rooms. Not only that, she
was frequently in the background - so quiet people barely noticed her. But
now she'd revealed herself, and perhaps she was again about to say something
very profound.

"Yeah, Kitty," Bobby waved at her. "You explain it." He looked at Kitty, then
at Marie, then at the wall. Marie glanced at Kitty expectantly.

"You've read Internet erotic stories," Kitty said. Marie nodded, wondering
how much of their conversation Kitty had just heard. "You know all about sex,
even though you couldn't have it till now?" Again Marie nodded. "So you know
what a swinger is, right?"

Marie gasped. "You're a..."

Kitty chuckled. "Of course! You know about my power and how it makes so
many things easy for me? One of them is being a voyeur. I've walked into
every room in this mansion, and before that I walked into every home in my
neighborhood. I've seen all the secret things people don't want me to see,
all the fun things. Since I came here I've been sorting out what I like
from what I don't. Shiro and Angelica have been helping me. Of course,
well..." She frowned. "You know what kind of people they are, right?"

Marie paused. She didn't know Shiro and Angelica that well, only knew that
they were both relatively new students at the mansion who shared fire-based
powers and a somewhat weird obsession with pornography. Now, Marie, she
reminded herself again, you like it too. How many times have you enjoyed
looking at their magazines?

"I owe you some thanks," Kitty said at her nod. "I needed something badly
that day the Professor died. Thanks to you, the Iceman cometh." She grinned.

Marie gave Bobby a confused look. "Iceman?"

"It's a really dumb name Kitty came up with for me," he explained. "She
talked to Dr. McCoy a lot before he went away, and he told her about all
these plays. I don't really like the name, but..."

"It's appropriate, Bobby," Kitty cut in. She pointed a finger at Marie.
"Rogue is appropriate for you too. A Rogue by any other name..."

"Don't say it," Rogue stopped her. She kept her smile on, though. She knew
the line, and it fit. Good, she thought. That settles one problem I've had
with all this. "So you're with Shiro and Angelica and Peter?"

Kitty nodded. "Peter told me you played videogames with him on his new
big screen before you left, while Bobby and I skated. You didn't notice that
something was bothering him?"

Rogue's hand went to her head. I got that thought for an instant, she
realized. But then I discarded it, too caught up in my own issues. We didn't
talk much about anything, just played. Why didn't I guess this before now?
"So he..."

"Yeah," Kitty said. "He doesn't fully approve. But he will eventually. I'm
working on it. When you got back, I decided I was going to work on you and
Bobby too. We all know you need this. I thought I'd have to wait until Jimmy
was old enough to help before I could do anything, but now..."

Bobby's mouth fell open. "Kitty, Jimmy's just a...!"

"Yeah, I know," Kitty grumbled. "That was the problem. But now I guess we
don't need him, right?" She pointed at their still joined hands.

Rogue looked at her hand and frowned, withdrawing it from Bobby's. "I...
Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

"What do you think I mean?" Kitty asked, stepping closer and sitting next to
the other two young X-Men on Rogue's bed. "Don't try and lie to me, okay?
Shiro and Angelica told me how you've looked at their magazines. I've seen
the way you look at me too."

Rogue gaped. "I was jealous!" she insisted. "That was it!"

Kitty shook her head, then placed her hand on top of Rogue's. "Really? I
don't think so. Neither do Peter, Shiro, or Angelica. Or your boyfriend
here."

Rogue looked at Bobby. "You..."

He nodded. "It was her idea. I was shocked by it too, but..."

Rogue turned away from him, looking at Kitty's hand. It felt nice, she
realized. Soft, different from Bobby. I did know about this, I've read about
it in a lot of the stories I've liked. I didn't think it was real, though.
And I never expected Kitty to be...

"Yes," Kitty said, smiling as Rogue looked back at her. "If you want it, you
can have it. You can have him too. All you have to do is let us in."

Let them in, Rogue thought. That was my biggest problem. It always has been.
Yes, I can touch people now, but the emotional walls are still up. And they
aren't going to fall as easy. For them there is no Leech, no cure. They can
easily be insurmontable. You can also be confused as to what the walls are.
I realize that now, because of what Kitty told me. I was attracted to her,
and I mistook it for jealousy. That's the real reason I didn't want her with
Bobby. I wanted her too. So much I didn't let myself consider...

She looked at each of her friends, evaluating them. Bobby was good-looking,
she decided, and Kitty too. They were both fun people. She could accept that
now, since the main barrier between them was gone. The other barriers were
surprisingly easier to conquer once she thought about it. But did she really
want them both? Could it happen? Should it?

Oh, why not? Rogue shrugged. Kitty seems okay with it. And Bobby, well, he'll
go along. I've always been the leader in our relationship. He does whatever I
tell him. She gave him a look to indicate that this time should be no
different.

Bobby frowned, then nodded, looking happy but surprised by how things had
progressed. "Okay, Rogue," he said. "Are you sure about this?"

Rogue's eyes flicked for an instant to Kitty's patient smile, then back to
Bobby. "If you two are sure, then I'm fine." She wanted this, she told
herself again. Ever since she had been able to touch people, it had been
like a dream come true. This would be too, Rogue knew, recalling how she
had played doctor with both girls and boys as a child, before her power
manifested. The games had never gone that far, something had always held
her back. Then had come puberty, and Cody, and then... She stopped,
remembering all too well what had come next.

I can have what I've wanted now, Rogue silently laughed. Not from Cody, but
that doesn't matter. I don't think I really wanted him anyway. He probably
doesn't remember me, or if he does, it isn't in a good way. Bobby and Kitty,
though, they're my friends now. They'll always be my friends. They remember
who I was, and know who I am. And I like them. I want them. Okay!

Smiling, she took her hand from Kitty's and turned to the bedside table. Time
for stage two of the plan. "This will be my first time," she said. "Bobby,
you'll have to be careful. I've got something right here that..."

"Condoms?" Kitty asked.

Rogue nodded, confused by her and Bobby's strange looks. "You might not think
we need them," she told Kitty, "but..."

"It's a good idea," Kitty said. "You don't always know when your partner is
going to come. I can phase so it goes through me, but if I can't predict..."
She stopped, looking at Bobby. "But you can use your power again, right? The
way you did when we did it?"

Rogue turned to Bobby. "What is she talking about?"

"You'll see," he said, taking her hand. "It was another of Kitty's ideas. I
thought it crazy at first, but then it worked, and..." He laughed. "Sex is
better without condoms anyway. Trust me."

"Okay," Rogue shrugged, withdrawing her fingers from his grip. They both
knew more about this than she did, she reminded herself. She had read so much
about it, planned so much for it, but had never done it. Not until now.

She reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head, then tossed it aside.
Bobby and Kitty both smiled, enjoying the sight of her pink lace bra. Rogue
unsnapped the bra's clasp and removed it also, causing them to smile again.
They shouldn't be, Rogue thought. My breasts aren't that big. They are larger
than Kitty's, though, so maybe...

Her thoughts were discarded as Kitty started pulling down the zipper on her
black jumpsuit. Pale skin was revealed beneath, the edge of a dark brown
nipple, then a thin curl of brown hair at the bottom. Kitty pushed the zipper
all the way down, then slipped the jumpsuit off. "What do you think?" she
asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Rogue looked over her slim body, noting its differences from her own. Kitty
was smaller than her, and not just in the chest area. She was shorter, but
her legs were longer. She was also more toned, built up from all the fighting
training she did. The training Rogue had never really seen the point of
before, due to her power, which she would have to learn now. Moving her eyes
on, Rogue noted other more subtle differences. Kitty didn't shave her special
area. And her nipples were dark, not pink. Her face also had less of a flush
than Rogue knew hers did right now. Turning away, she looked at Bobby.

The young man paused for an instant, still staring at Rogue and Kitty. Come
on, Rogue thought. You've seen her naked before. And me too. We were able to
masturbate in front of each other, and we did. Every time, you were like
this. What is it with guys? They're always supposed to initiate things, and
yet whenever...

She stopped as Bobby finally stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. She
ran her eyes over the familiar sight of his bare chest, smiling once more
at the expanse of pale hardened muscle. Bobby took off his shirt, then his
shoes, and after that his jeans. He slipped his boxers off next. Rogue
grinned at the sight revealed. She had seen it before, but now she could
have it. It had been in her dreams so often, so long she'd been aching for
it. Judging by the look on her face, Kitty too was pleased with the sight.

Bobby looked at each of them, nodding. Then he sat back on the bed. "You are
sure," he told Rogue. "This is what you want?"

"Yes," Rogue told him. She frowned, looking at Kitty. "Is this the first time
you..."

"No," Kitty shook her head. "We did one with Angelica. It didn't go well."

"Yeah," Bobby agreed when Rogue looked back at him. "Fire and ice don't
exactly mix. She's not the fire-powered mutant I've had the most trouble
with, but..."

"Let's just do it, okay?" Rogue broke in, a smirk on her lips. She held up
her hand. "Enough emotional barriers. They're always a problem for me."

"Me too," said Kitty. "Physical ones I can walk through, but..." She laughed
and sat down beside Rogue, taking her hand again. "You'll like this. Trust
me. It may hurt the first time - you know that, right?"

She nodded. "I'm not afraid."

"Good," said Bobby. He touched her other hand, still getting used to the feel
of her. Then he moved his fingers up her arm, across her neck, and then to
her cheek. Rogue sighed. Ever since she was cured, she had felt unusually
sensitive. This was normal, the counselor had told her. Yeah, Rogue chuckled
to herself. And it's also very nice. She sighed again as Bobby leaned in and
kissed her lips.

He only touched them briefly, pulling back, shocked at the feeling. He's
still getting over the fact that he can touch me, Rogue guessed. Taking the
initiave, she reached up and put her arms around him, pulled him back close.
She kissed Bobby, her heart quivering in fear as she did so and then calming
down. She smiled at him, then turned to Kitty. Guessing what she wanted, the
brunette leaned in and pressed her lips to Rogue's. She gasped, noticing the
difference. One hard, the other soft. Both were warm, though, even Bobby. She
had expected him to be cold to the touch, but he wasn't. That was good, she
decided. Very good.

Kitty grinned at her as she broke the kiss, then moved in again. She was
bolder now, more insistent. Her lips touched Rogue's, and this time they
parted, then her tongue came through. Rogue shuddered at the intrusion.
Then she recalled all the times she'd read about this, wanted to do it.
Now she had her chance. She extended her own tongue and licked the other
girl's.

"Wow," Bobby said. Kitty took her lips from Rogue's, then turned and smiled
as she gave him a similar kiss. Bobby grabbed her and pulled her to him,
rubbing the muscles of her back. Rogue glared at them, part of her still not
liking that they were together. Then she sighed and moved in, determined to
remind them they weren't the only ones here. Her arms moved between their
bodies, pushed them apart. She kissed Kitty again, then Bobby. Both times
she let her tongue lash out and join with theirs.

"You're getting into this," Kitty said, chuckling.

"Yeah," Rogue said. Then she moved her hands up, putting one on each of their
chests. "And you haven't seen anything yet."

Smiling, she started moving her fingers over each of them. Her right hand was
on Bobby, her left hand on Kitty. Rogue gasped as she felt them - again they
were different and yet the same. Both warm, both new, and so... I am glad I
did this, she chuckled to herself as she felt their chests. She took one of
their nipples between each of her fingers, rubbing at it. This made her feel
good too, and from their expressions she could see she was not alone in this
emotion.

Kitty grinned and moved her hands onto Rogue, touching the other girl's
breasts. Her fingers seemed to almost push through Rogue's skin at first,
then pulled out. Rogue smiled, guessing Kitty was surprised by this on some
level. Like Rogue, she'd been wanting it to happen but disbelieving the
possibility. Rogue hoped that, like her, Kitty was enjoying things now.

She gasped, feeling the other girl's fingers on her aureola. Kitty made wide
strokes, as if she knew Rogue wanted to feel everything she could. Rogue
moaned, sensing a stirring in her loins. Then Bobby's fingers moved in,
joining Kitty's. They roamed along the valley between Rogue's breasts, then
farther down. Over her belly, then around her waist, then pushing under the
hem of her sweatpants. Rogue let out a cry of shock as she felt them touch
her cunt. Bobby frowned at her, and she shook her head, dropped her hand to
Bobby's wrist. She gripped him tightly, keeping his hand on her skin. The
feel of it was so different, so much better than her own hand. Bobby grinned
at her in relief, then started moving his fingers back and forth against her.
Rogue smiled anew at each spot they hit.

Taking her hand from the no longer hesitant Bobby's wrist, she moved it to
his thigh and squeezed the muscle there. She had done this before with
gloves, but bare skin was nicer. She could touch him more directly, feel
the sweat on him and the emotion beneath. No longer did she have to imagine.
She also felt Kitty's hands on her breasts, the brunette's skin against hers.
That was nice too. Grinning at the sensations, she ran her fingers over
Kitty's stomach and Bobby's leg. Kitty smiled and moved in closer to her,
rubbing Rogue's nipples and then leaning in to kiss each one. Rogue gasped
at this sudden odd touch. She had thought about it so often, but now, having
it, she... Suddenly she cried out, coming on impulse as Kitty sucked on her
left nipple at almost the same instant Bobby's fingers brushed her clit.

They both withdrew their hands and stared at her, surprised again. Rogue bit
her lip, willing herself back to peace. Looking at them, she smiled. "This is
all so new."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" laughed Kitty. She took Rogue's fingers in hers.
"Here, let's go farther." She placed the other girl's hand back on her
nipple. "Touch it." Rogue did so, smiling at the feel and the reaction it
produced in Kitty. She pinched and pulled at the nipple, reveling in its
differences from her own. It was similar, though, she noted, and that was
good too. Then Kitty's hand again closed around hers, moving it on.

"Touch me," she urged Rogue, pressing the other girl's hand to her belly.
Rogue cupped it in her hand, liking the warmth she felt there. Kitty let her
hand linger for an instant, then clenched her wrist hard, pushing it farther
down. Rogue gasped as she felt a greater heat, a softer warmth. Kitty was
remarkably solid, and wet too. Rogue let her fingers roam, watching Kitty's
body as she did so, quickly picking up on the most pleasurable spots.

She felt her other hand taken suddenly, placed on another organ of pleasure.
"Touch it," Bobby said. "Come on, go ahead."

Rogue looked at him and frowned, then grinned, deciding she liked the feel of
his cock. She closed her fingers around it and stroked it, gripping it hard
and moving back and forth. She moved her fingers on Kitty's cunt also,
pressing their tips hard into its upper surface and then from side to side.
Kitty moaned and put her hands on Rogue's hips, grabbed the edges of her
sweatpants and pulled down them and her panties. Rogue opened her mouth to
say something. Before she could, Kitty was leaning close and interrupting her
with a kiss. Rogue opened her mouth to admit the other girl's tongue and also
her breath, smiling at the feel of both. She also felt her sweatpants moving
down, and Kitty's fingers on her legs, touching her inner thighs. "Yes," she
told the other girl with her eyes, moving her fingers faster on both Kitty
and Bobby's sex organs. She could feel their bodies growing tighter as she
stroked them. Their skin was getting redder too.

They both moved in closer to her, their hands on Rogue's legs. Rogue smiled,
feeling them touching her. They were both so hesistant, but quickly growing
bolder, happy in the knowledge that they could safely do this. She urged them
on with her hands and facial expressions, feeling them both get as excited as
she was. They were shaking, then moving against her, moaning and breathing
hard against her. Rogue kissed each of them, pressing her fingers into their
organs. Their hands rubbed her sides, her waist, her breasts, then the space
between her thighs. They all grinned at each other and then breathed harder,
their movement speeding up too.

Rogue looked at Bobby, then turned towards him. "Do it," she said, grabbing
his cock. "Don't be afraid. Take me."

Bobby nodded, and she withdrew her hand. His own hands came up and gripped
her shoulders. In one smooth motion he pushed forward, his cock entering
Rogue's snatch. Rogue gasped at the sensation. Again it was new, and
different. There was pain at first, as she'd expected, but not a lot of pain.
Maybe all the fighting she'd done as an X-Man had stretched her somehow,
Rogue had often thought that it might. Then such reflections were chased away
by the pleasure of having Bobby inside her. She felt full all of a sudden,
and stretched wonderfully. Kitty moved aside as Bobby pushed Rogue down onto
the bed, her hands still darting in to touch Rogue, increase her feelings of
passion. Rogue pulled her fingers out of the other girl as Kitty moved away,
wanting to keep them in her but distracted now. Her hands came up and gripped
Bobby's arms, aiding him as he moved in and out of her pussy.

"You like it?" Bobby asked. She nodded and kissed him. Smiling, he pushed
deeper. Rogue gasped, feeling another barrier break apart. Before now, only
her own fingers had touched her there, and now... She felt the ache in her
loins increase, and the moisture too. The latter aided Bobby, and so did
Kitty's hands, touching Rogue and causing her to come farther open. Then
came more aid from a current of cold air Rogue felt forming around Bobby.
His power, she realized. Nice.

"Don't let it get too much," Kitty told the boy, moving over and sitting down
above them. "Angelica and I always have to tell Shiro..."

"Hey," Bobby glared at her. "I have control, okay?" He moved back and forth
in Rogue as he spoke, letting her smile provide emphasis.

"He does, Kitty," Rogue said, pulling Bobby against her. "He trains the
hardest of us, and this is helping. His power..." She gasped as she felt
Bobby's cock touch her deepest nerve again, then pull back.

"Okay," Kitty said, looking at them. "I guess you're right." She got on her
knees and approached their heads. "Hey - can one of you lick me?"

Bobby nodded, then opened his mouth. Rogue put up her hand, stopping him.
"No," she said. "I'll do this." The act was another thing she'd always wanted
to do, and only thought and read about until now. Now there was nothing in
the way of it, and she wanted to do it. So she would. "Let me," she told
Kitty. The other girl smiled, then moved in over Rogue's face.

Rogue looked up at her, then opened her mouth to take in Kitty's scent. Whoa,
she thought. She liked it immediately. There was a warmth to it, and an
intriguing taste. Remembering what she'd read, she thrust her tongue up,
touched it against Kitty. She licked the top of the other girl's cunt, then
moved on to the sides, then back up. Bobby continued moving back and forth
in her as she lapped at it. Rogue felt her cunt walls closing tight around
him, her thighs moving in involuntary contractions. Soon, she knew, she would
come again. But not quickly, she told herself. Prolong this. It's so good. It
can't stop. I don't want it to stop, I...

Her thoughts fled again as her tongue felt yet another odd sensation. Not
that odd, she thought. I taste myself all the time, I know how female juice
tastes. But this is sweeter, and it's flowing harder. It's... Tossing aside
reflection, she reached up and grabbed Kitty's thighs, pulled the other
girl's cunt closer to her mouth, and kept licking.

"Yes, Rogue!" Kitty smiled down at her. "Do it. There, right there. Yes! Oh
yes!!! Oh!! Ahh!!" Throwing her head back, she put her hands on Rogue's and
clenched the other girl's fingers hard with hers, gritting her teeth in
ecstasy. Kitty seemed to fade for a second as Rogue stabbed her tongue deep
into her, then instantly popped back, solid once more. She was different
now, though, shaking and flowing more freely. Rogue increased the speed and
power of her licks, gripping the other girl's thighs tightly as Bobby
continued pushing into her and smiling at them. Rogue didn't know which she
liked better - the feel of his organ inside her pussy or the feel of Kitty's
core against her mouth.

Shrugging and wondering why she even cared, she kept moving back and
forth against them. Her hands gripped Kitty, and her legs grasped Bobby,
maintaining her hold on each. Kitty's hands pressed into hers, and then
Bobby's came up, took hold of her wrists. Rogue gasped, feeling afresh his
touch on her. His blue eyes shone as he rubbed her skin, alight with all
the love she had hoped for and more. She looked back at him and tried to
return it with her gaze, then turned and tried to pass the emotion on to
Kitty. It wasn't quite there, though - her thoughts towards the other girl
were different. Oh well, Rogue thought. We're still friends, right? Yes,
we are, and that's all that matters. I don't need love to enjoy doing this.

She gripped Kitty's thighs hard and licked more fervently, urged on by the
other girl's cries and Bobby's grunts as he pressed into Rogue. Suddenly he
clenched his jaw and nodded, then erupted. Rogue felt an odd cold sensation
in her loins, something bursting out of Bobby's cock and impacting hard into
her. Oh shit, she remembered, no condom. Wait a second, I... She stopped and
smiled, noticing the temperature of his come. He's freezing it, she realized.
I guess that's killing the sperm. I'm glad he can do that. He shouldn't
always do it, of course, but... wait, would that actually work? Somehow I
doubt it. Oh well, I took pills before deciding to do this anyway and I have
more for afterwards just in case. I should be fine. Laughing it off, she
licked harder at Kitty's pussy, showing the other girl how much she
appreciated the idea.

Kitty let out another gasp, then spasmed against Rogue. "AAAAAHHH!" she
cried, her juices flooding into the other girl's mouth. "YES!!!! AHHHH!!!"

She's vocal in this act, Rogue thought. So quiet most of the time, but now...
She smiled, realizing there was something familiar about the cries. Kitty's
room was next to hers, and Rogue had heard her cries often from the other
side of the wall. She hadn't thought much about them, as usual too caught up
in her own fears and traumas. But she was feeling them now, and recognizing
them for what they were.

This is what I gave up my power for, Rogue thought. And I made the right
choice. I doubted it so much, until now, every moment leading up to this. But
in this moment, I am free. In this moment, I don't care. Now I'm feeling what
I wanted, in every part of me, and I... I... She gasped, knowing what was
suddenly overcoming her. A powerful wave of feeling, everything she'd wished
for from this moment. It echoed through her, crashed down, then reared up and
crashed again.

"Yes!" she cried softly, shaking and pressing her hands, tongue, and other
muscles deep into her two best friends. "Yes! I'm burning! I'm coming!!!"

Kitty and Bobby both smiled at her, rubbing their hands across hers. Bobby
was wilting inside her, Rogue noted as she calmed down. He was moving slower
now. Kitty was moving slower too - her feelings were also receding. But we can
bring them back, Rogue thought. There's nothing between us now. Nothing
except these new glorious things. And we will continue them. We must. Not
only that, I want more. I want to feel Peter, and Shiro, and Angelica, and
Jubilee, and maybe others too. I... She smiled, glad she would be getting the
chance.

Her lovers also smiled, even as they seperated themselves from her. "I'm
sorry about before," Bobby said, taking Rogue's hand. "I... You're still
special, Marie. You always will be."

"Rogue," she corrected him, grinning. "Call me Rogue. After all, I'm even
more seperate from the rest of you now, right?"

"Yeah," Kitty said, lying down beside her body. She pulled Rogue's sweatpants
the rest of the way off and tossed them aside. "But we still like you."
Chuckling, she pressed her body into Rogue's, touching breasts against
breasts and thighs against thighs. Her hands took Rogue's and held them, and
her lips again touched the other girl's. Rogue opened her mouth and sucked
Kitty's tongue as it came inside. Kitty sucked back, Bobby laughing as he
watched them. Both girls reached out their hands and took hold of his cock,
their fingers clashing as they started stroking it back to full hardness.
They smiled and broke their kiss, delighted in the ease of the task. "I'm
next, okay?" Kitty asked Rogue.

"Sure," Rogue replied, smiling and kissing her again. Later you'll have to
introduce me to your other friends, she added silently. They're my friends
too now. I will make it so. I've lost my power, but now I have confidence,
and happiness. And I must have more. Every day.

Letting out a breath and again thanking herself for taking so many difficult
steps, she grabbed Bobby's cock in her hand and pulled him towards them.
Kitty moved off her and onto Bobby, phasing into him slightly as she kissed
him. "No!" he gasped. Kitty pulled out, then settled down on him, solid again
and grinning. Damn, Rogue thought, eyeing her pleased look and Bobby's
continuing shocked gasp. Are the others like this?

Probably not, she thought. After all, we are each in our own way unique,
mutation or no mutation. And now that I can, I'm going to find that out in
the best way.

She gave her friends a pleased look once more, then moved closer and returned
her hands to Kitty's breasts. I am content now, Rogue thought, smiling at the
other girl and Bobby. All my problems - Magneto, my powers, the lines between
us - are gone. And this will only be the first of many times we enjoy
ourselves like this.

* * *

Outside the estate, someone else was not feeling happy or confident.

"Charles," he whispered, shaking his head as he stared at the gates.
"Charles..."

Charles, old friend, he thought. Why did you have to leave? Why didn't I save
you? Why did I ever turn against you? Why did it have to take me so long to
realize you were right about everything? The world could have found room for
me, for all of us, if only I listened to you. We were friends once, but then
so much happened. So much, and now I know it was all my fault. The solution
to all our problems was staring at me right in the face, and I ignored it,
blinded by my own flawed vision. But now I have seen the light. And I have
seen what lurks behind the light as well. I need you, my friend.

He shivered, recalling his ordeal in the park. He had sat at a chessboard
trying to move the pieces with his power. His power that was gone. He had
tried to ignore the fact that this was so, but in the end he had had to face
it. He was nothing now, again. No, worse, he was less than nothing. This
time, he had no secret weapon, no shadowy threat to turn against his
tormentors. This time he truly was alone.

No, you're not, Erik Lensherr reminded himself. You are not alone. There are
still people you can inspire. That power of yours had nothing to do with
being a mutant. You can use it here, if you can get them to forgive you. And
you have to. You have no other home. The world thinks you died in the final
act of the war you started. And even if they knew you were alive, would
anyone want to take you in after what you've done?

"I hope they will," Erik whispered. Like Rogue, he had long put aside his
other name. He was now Erik Lensherr again, friend to Charles Xavier. He
prayed Xavier's other friends would realize this, and remember the man he
used to be before he made all his mistakes. He knew they had never really
known him as that man, only as the monster, but still he had to try. He
had to become somebody again, whatever it took. To get back at least
something of what he'd always wanted - a family. He had had one, long ago,
and it had been taken away. Ever since then he had found many substitutes,
but none had ever satisfied him. So he had abandoned them all, or led them
to their dooms - all over some stupid dream he could never have realized
anyway. Only now, without his youth, without his powers, were Erik's eyes
open to that fact.

He had to get it all back. Not everything, that was impossible. But some
things. Some things at least. It would be hard, but Erik knew he could do
it. He had to. The X-Men were his enemies, but they would have to accept
him. They would need a new visionary, someone who had known their old one
well enough to remember his teachings and someone who was now humbled
enough to let them keep the control he should have given them in the first
place. They would also need him for what was coming.

Erik shivered, remembering it. The second event that had happened to him in
the park, almost immediately after he finally reached out and moved a pawn
with his hand instead of his mind. "How does it feel?" a voice had asked at
that very moment. He had turned to see the woman who had once been his most
ardent follower standing behind him.

"Mystique," he had said, for a moment looking surprised, then hopeful. Then
she had shattered all his hopes.

"No," she had smiled, changing from her human form back into her more
familiar blue one before his very eyes. "Famine. My name is Famine now."

Smiling, she had sat down across from him and told him of her new master. A
truly great visionary, she had said, one greater even than the man she used
to worship. A being who would never forsake her as Magneto had. A being who
knew humanity, mutantkind, and evolution far better than Magento ever had -
it had observed them far longer. A being who had undertaken much greater
preparations to become the master of the world than Magneto could ever have
dreamt - it had had the time. A being who was a mutant even stronger in power
than the Phoenix, and worse, it had complete control of everything it could
do.

The being had servants also - and soon it would have far more servants. A
leader among them would be the woman Erik had once known as Mystique, who
now called herself Famine. Another servant of the being, someone Famine
had referred to as both Pestilence and Sinister, had created something that
many mutants longed for now. A way to get their powers back. A cure for the
cure. Famine had offered it to Erik, and also offered him a high place among
her new master's followers, but he had turned her down. He no longer wanted
to become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.

Besides, he knew even if he did, it would be an empty title. His former
acolyte's new master was someone far stronger than he, someone he had long
tried to emulate, someone who to him and most mutants was only a legend -
until now. Erik now knew the being was not a legend, and he had to alert
others to the being's existence. First on the list was the only group of
people Erik knew who could possibly stop the being. They had stopped him,
after all.

But could they stop this one? Erik wondered. Deep inside he doubted it as he
felt his insides shake at the mere thought of the being's name.

"Apocalypse."

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